The Man
by Ravynfeather
Summary: An investigation team looks into the "Slender Man" case. Will they get proof of him? Shout out to ZachSmithson on DeviantART for letting me use his pic as a cover : P (Warning! This is very old!)


_**This is just a short story I wanted to write. The tune that the locket was playing is called 'Melody' by Yuki Kajiura. You should look it up.**_

_**This was just for fun, I got bored XD**  
><em>

_Paranormal Investigators do not get much attention when it comes to credit. Sure, some people don't believe in any of the things we investigate, but even the people who do believe in it are skeptical. We didn't fake it. We know what we saw. What we felt._

_ Then there's the people who believe there is some merit to these tales, but think it wise to leave the creatures be. They are hidden for a reason. But I, leader of a small paranormal team, believe that these creatures could be an issue if left unaddressed. _

* * *

><p>Geoff, my second in command, and I got a new case: The Slender Man. I've heard of him before, but never paid much attention to him. I've always been too busy with other things. But now a get a chance to see who or what this thing <em>really<em> is.

According to pictures and stories, Slender Man is often depicted as a grotesque man with arms sprouting out of his back. Arms which he can retract back into himself, or sprout more. He's often described as wearing a black suit and has no facial features.

I have files on my small oak desk of missing children of which Slender Man supposedly kidnapped. At least, all the recorded children in my area that he 'kidnapped'.

"Sounds like a real pain in the ass to find," Geoff had complained. "How are we supposed to find a guy who can physically hide the fact he's not human?"

I stared down at a photo that is supposedly of Slender Man. "If his thing is to kidnap children, then we need to set out a trap."

"What are you, Freddy Jones?"

"Well, if we can convince him that there is a child he can get at, we might be able to capture him on video."

I looked at Geoff, who sighed. "Ruh roh..." He muttered.

* * *

><p>In a house I temporarily rented, I set up what was supposed to be a trap. The house was already furnished, so I didn't have to worry about that stuff. A recorder had the sounds of a child whimpering and muttering in their sleep, obviously distressed. To make it seem slightly more believable, I set up a small locket that played a soft tune. I hoped it would seem as though parents are trying to get the child to sleep.<p>

Geoff walked in, the camera-octopus (or so I like to call it) stuck out from his back and his head light was off. "When are we getting started?"

"Soon," I said "I'm waiting for Carrie and Aiden. They're going to pretend to be parents."

"Aren't they just friends of yours?"

"Friends that are actors..."

"Amateur actors." He corrected. "Stephanie, I don't know how well this is going to work."

"Well, we're in an area where he's most commonly sighted, aren't we? Just leave the window open, and keep the doors unlocked. We'll be here for two days - In that time, I'm hoping we catch at least a glimpse of him."

Geoff pursed his lips, but said nothing. "I'll leave camera's out. I also have motion sensors, remember? I've been dying to try them out and this is the perfect opportunity." I slipped my camera-octopus on, buckling it up on my chest and stomach. "Look, I'll put it by every window, and every door. Along with the cameras."

"We'll see," Was all Geoff said.

The honk of a car alerted us that Carrie and Aiden had arrived. _Perfect,_ I thought to myself, _let's get the show on the road._

* * *

><p>Carrie, Aiden, Geoff and I all had ear buds in, which meant we could communicate with everyone in this huge house. Carrie and Aiden were positioned in the biggest room, Geoff was positioned in the cellar, near the staircase. He would be monitoring the sounds of the house, listening for new footsteps - We alerted everyone if we moved rooms or floors, just so we weren't mistaken for something else.<p>

From where I was, two rooms away from the fake-child's room, I could hear the soothing melody of the locket... _Tink tink tink tink tink tink. Tink. Tink. Tink tink tink tink tink... Tink-tink-tink tink tink tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink... _After a while of listening to it, it became increasingly eerie.

Nothing was happening, and my left foot was beginning to go numb and cold at the same time. I looked to my left, and shuddered. It was a door that, when opened, revealed a staircase down to the main floor. Of course, I had it closed, but I realized that the reason my entire left side is now numb and cold as stone was because of the door.

I wanted to say something into the ear buds, but if there was something behind that door, I didn't want it to hear me. Not that I could talk, anyways. Half my mouth was about as useless as a team with no one on it.

"Steph?" Carrie's voice whispered into my ear. "Stephanie, are you there?"

I nodded, even though she can't see me, and said "Yes. I'm here." The words slurred, and came out more like "Yush, 'm ear."

Carrie obviously didn't take much notice to this. "I thought I just heard something... And Geoff isn't answering."

I grunted, not trusting my slurred voice. I forced myself away from the door, dragging my foot along with me. " 'M 'oming." I whispered into the ear buds.

"Please hurry.." Carrie whimpered.

As moved away from the door, my body started to get feeling back into it, and warmed up. I tiptoed down the hallway, glancing this way and that as I neared Carrie and Aiden's room.

I suddenly heard a creak from the middle of the stairs. I froze in the hallway, bracing myself for something's head to appear above the banister of the stairs. But what ever was coming up the stairs was either very slow, or noticed I stopped moving. I checked to make sure my camera was recording, and slowly started towards Carrie and Aiden's room again. As soon as I began moving, a quiet, agonizing creak echoed from the staircase.

I bit my bottom lip. What should I do? Check on Carrie and Aiden, or rush out to see what the thing on the stairs is? I swallowed, trying to get moisture back in my mouth as I made up my mind.

"Sorry, Carrie." I whispered into the ear bud. "You'll have to hold up for a little bit longer."

"Wait, Stephanie! Please don't leave us alone any longer!" Carrie begged.

I forced myself to ignore her and moved towards the staircase. The creaking was continuing, and getting louder. I moved towards the banister, but before I could look over it a loud _thump_ reverberated through the walls.

"That the fuck was that?" Aiden's voice came.

I peeked over the edge of the banister, unable to answer Aiden's question. There was nothing in the stair case. "I have no clue," I said shakily into the ear bud. "Geoff, are you there? Why didn't yo-"

"Stephanie, shut up!" Geoff barked into my ear. "I hear something."  
>I quieted down, my hands shaking violently.<p>

"OK, after that loud thump, I hear footsteps moving towards the door. The back door." Geoff whispered. "The one by you, Stephanie. What ever it is, it's looking for another way up there."

I nodded again, which I really have to stop. It's a bad habit to nod to no one. "I'll check it out." I said shakily.

"Steph, be careful. This thing sounds viol-"

Geoff's voice cut off to the sound off static.

"What happened to Ge-" Carrie and Aiden's voice cut off too. I might as well be alone in this house, now. I ripped the ear bud out of my ear. The static was loud and painful.

I heard a small cracking sound, and looked around. I realized it was coming from my camera-octopus. The lens was slowly cracking down the middle.

"What the hell?" I muttered. I shook my head. "Leave it. It'll still have audio."

_Tink, tinggg!_ I heard the locket fall to the ground in the child's room. It began to play the melody all chopped up and wrong. I took some deep breaths before turning around to face the fake-child's room - The door was half closed now. Footsteps from heeled dress-shoes echoed throughout that room. _Something_ was in there.

I brushed my black hair out of my eyes, and felt sweat starting to accumulate on my forehead. There's was nothing left to do other than face this thing.

Right before I started towards the room, a thought struck me. If Geoff knew this thing was dangerous, then why wasn't he up here? I _know_ he would have come to help. And what about Carrie and Aiden? The would have fled the house as soon as the connection was lost. After all, that _was_ the only thing keeping them here. No... Something prevented them from doing that. I had a feeling it was whatever was behind this door.

"Tricked?" A velvety voice purred from the room. It was a voice I could listen to all day. "How dare they..." The voice began to get louder, angrier.

One hand grabbed the top of the door, one the middle, and two the door frame. They were hands that were black as midnight. As black as the suit of the man that the hands belonged to. The door was easily ripped off its hinges, smashing into the wall on the other side of the room. It revealed a man, who had his lips pulled into a sharp-toothed snarl. His eyes were completely black and he was as bald as the day he was born. I gasped and stumbled back, falling to the floor.

"Pathetic human," His velvety voice bounced off the walls "Can't you learn to keep your nose in your own world?" Four of his black arms slithered towards me as he walked. "You're job here is _finished_." He snarled. When ever he spoke, his jaw opened wide, almost like a Tasmanian Tiger's jaw. He had thousands of tiny, sharp teeth in his mouth. His bony hands wrapped themselves around me. "I'm done playing games." Slender Man hissed before I started screaming in pain.

* * *

><p>A man came to a investigator's desk, dropping a thick folder on their desk. The world-renown investigator looked up at the man, surprised by his bluntness. This man was bald and had striking green eyes. His suit was crisp and lint free. He obviously took care of himself.<p>

"What's this?" The famous investigator asked, looking at the folder. "A case?"

"It is." The man said in a velvety voice. "A creature called 'Slender Man' has caught the attention of many, and a believe it would help you to look into it." The man smiled, and the investigator shuddered. He didn't know why.

"I-I'll take a look at it." Said the investigator.

"That would be wonderful," Said the man. "Good luck on the case." He waved before walking out of the famous investigators head quarters.

The investigator's team later looked at the thick folder. Inside was the following: Tapes of recorded audio, a disc labeled 'All Videos' and a locket.

Pushing the 'play' button on the investigator's huge flat-screen, the team sat down and watched the video. They were soon fast forwarding it towards the end, as nothing was happening.

"Wait, stop!" A female investigator barked, setting the locket down. "Look at that!"

The video was in a child's room, where the sound of a quiet melody was playing. Something was hunched over a child's bed, arms everywhere. Two arms came down and gently pulled the sheet away - The thing stiffened. "Tricked? How dare they..." A familiar voice echoed throughout the T.V.'s speakers. The thing picked up a small recorder from the bed and easily crushed it in it's hands. It's head suddenly snapped towards the door, revealing it's eyes and sharp-toothed mouth.

It's arms slowly moved towards the door, before ripping it off it's hinges. Someone in the video gasped and a soft _thumping_ noise came, as if someone had fallen on the seat of their jeans. "Pathetic human," The man with many arms growled "Can't you learn to keep your nose in your own world?" He stepped slightly towards the doorway. "Your job here is _finished_." Two arms slithered away from him and grabbed something from the hallway. The man moved through the doorway.

The screen suddenly cut to another video, a view of the hallway. The man with more arms than he should have was walking towards a woman who was on the floor, pouring sweat. Her eyes were wide. The black hands were wrapped around her.

"I'm done playing games." The man snarled, and his black arms started twisting the woman.

"Geoff!" The woman screamed "Carrie! Aiden!" Cracks and pops came from the video. "Help!" She screeched.

The investigator and his team watched in horror as this woman was basically torn in half. Her two pieces fell to the ground in a bloody, quivering heap. The video was paused by someone.

They were silent. "This is...real?" The woman with the locket asked quietly. "Real footage?"

"I can only assume so..."

"So...that woman is really dead..."

The lead investigator stared at the frozen video. The man with many arms was glaring up at the camera. "That man..." He remembered the man who dropped the folder off. "Oh... my lord..." He breathed.

He had spoken to the very man who just ripped a woman in half like she was paper on screen.


End file.
